The National CFIDS Foundation (NCF) is pleased to announce
that Dr. Donald Carrigan and Dr. Konstance Knox, medical
scientists with the Institute for Viral Pathogenesis, will
present their research results on the STAT1 protein in CFS
patients at the 2004 AACFS Seventh International Conference
on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and other Related
Illnesses on October 8-10 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Drs. Knox and Carrigan's work, titled the "Potential
Role of STAT1 in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome," was funded by a research grant from the NCF
in the summer of 2003. This research was aimed at extending
the previous work done by Dr. Kenny DeMeirleir and his
colleagues from Belgium.

"CFS/ME patients have increased incidences of
infections, including Epstein-Barr (EBV), HHV-6 and
mycoplasmas among others. The NCF believes that our
understanding of the STAT1 protein is critically important
to the pathogenesis of this disease," stated Gail Kansky,
president of the NCF. "STAT1 deficiencies are associated
with fatal infections, therefore the importance of this
research cannot be understated. We are grateful to Dr.
Carrigan and Dr. Knox for their commitment to this vital
research since it may help to explain the immune dysfunction
component of CFIDS. Furthermore, by presenting the findings
at this major conference, sponsored by the AACFS, other
scientists and physicians will be able to see this important
work firsthand," stated Kansky.